Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange (Hardcover Classics) (43 page)

They then came up to Miqdad and repeated that the choice should be left to Mayasa and that they would accept it and hand her over to him if this was what she wanted. On hearing this, Miqdad agreed and swore by his father and mother that if she wanted Malik he would not oppose her or them. He then went up to the howdah and called to Mayasa: ‘You hear what they say, for they have allowed you to choose between us.’

Then he recited:

Lady, the choice is yours, so tell us what you want.

I have forced them to choose humility

Leaving them in confusion and regret.

Go with them if you choose and leave me in distress,

But if you pick me, I shall scatter them.

He stood waiting for her reply but when she said nothing he recited:

I shall accept your answer, so reply,

For you are like my hearing and my sight.

Go if you wish and I shall still love you;

Union with you is life, while if you leave I die.

If you want me, you must know that my sword

Splits skulls and cuts through other blades.

You have already seen what one of us can do,

The haughty lion, charging to the fight.

Speak out and do not fear what enemies may say,

Since for me you are like my inmost heart.

Which, although tortured, lies in pledge to you.

Do not cut through what gives me the power to endure.

When Mayasa had heard his poetry, she said: ‘Cousin, be on your guard with these people.’ Then she said: ‘People of Sinbis, will you accept my choice?’ and when they said they would she told them: ‘As you allow me the choice, I pick Miqdad, and you can leave either in safety or in confusion and regret. If Miqdad is too weak to fight you, I shall come down from my howdah, mount my horse and help him to victory.’

Her words left the escort staring down at the ground. Then they looked up and said to each other: ‘Are you going to hand over this girl to Miqdad who is here alone and retire from him when you are the champion riders of the Arabs? This would be a disgrace, and if you all charge and attack him with your swords there will be no escape for him, and he will fall to your spears.’ One of them, a man named ‘Auf son of al-Sabbah, said: ‘If you all charge him Mayasa will dismount from her howdah and help him fight. I think that you should let her go with him and go off yourselves to Malik your chief to tell him what Miqdad did to you.’ His companions shouted: ‘Shut up, damn you! Do you want the Arabs in their assemblies and the women over their spindles to talk about you and say that a boy from Kinda met seventy riders from Sinbis, scattered them with his sword and took off the bride they were escorting?’ ‘Auf said: ‘I have given you good advice, and this is better than that the Arabs should tell of how one man killed seventy riders and only one escaped.’ ‘Who is that one going to be?’ they asked, and ‘Auf told them that he would climb to the hilltop and not fight but watch what was going to happen.

When ‘Auf left them they all rode out against Miqdad. The first to challenge being a well-known champion, Sharrab al-Halak. He charged, reciting:

If we give up the bride, what are we then to say

Or tell our families when they meet us?

Abandon her, Miqdad, and leave here in safety,

Or else you will lie underneath the earth.

Go off and do not stand against us on our way,

Lest you be forced to drain the cup of death.

The two opponents charged each other, and after a long fight Miqdad forestalled Sharrab al-Halak, thrusting with a spear, whose point came out through his back, leaving him weltering in his blood. When they saw this the others shouted at Miqdad, but he struck right and left until he had killed them all. He then turned his reins, intending to attack ‘Auf, but ‘Auf called to him: ‘Look after your bride! I gave them advice, but they would not accept it.’

Miqdad went back and halted opposite Mayasa, reciting:

Lady, have I an equal or a match amongst mankind?

I met the riders making to us with their spears.

It was my love for you that spurred me on to fight,

Exchanging thrusts on both the left and right.

When she heard this Mayasa smiled and said: ‘Cousin, you have cleared away shame and taken your revenge, but there are many others like you, and every disaster is followed by a greater one.’ Miqdad collected the weapons of the dead and took charge of their horses, their goods and their slaves, whom he ordered to fasten the loads to the camels. He then hurried off to the tents of his own clan, travelling through the night, and when dawn broke he was in sight of
Ascalon
. He could see the traces of a deserted camp with its dwellings and shelters. Remembering his experiences on his travels, he was moved by sorrow and longing to recite:

A star shone from the east. God grant a happy dawn!

Some dawns have led to bloodshed, others to success.

The lover who complains cannot be blamed

For looking for relief from sufferings.

When you turned from me you caused me to doubt,

And fires of passion shot their darts at me.

Would that I knew what you did to my life

When, before dawn, parting afflicted me.

I am a wretched lover with a wounded heart,

Moving from Syria to Raqqatan.

I crossed the mountains, leaving barren land,

Until I found myself on fertile ground.

I came to Chosroe’s hall, where I collected wealth

And then I took my leave and travelled at my ease,

Making for my own clan, joyful and with success,

When suddenly I met a troop of men,

Like lions, riding fully armed with spears.

Amongst them was a camel decked with silk,

Carrying such beauty that obscured the dawn.

For on it was a howdah decked with pearls,

And in this was a lady beautifully dressed.

I asked who this might be who so delighted me.

They said: ‘This is the noble bride,

Mayasa, who is going to her groom.’

I was amazed and shouted: ‘Let her be,

And hurry off as quickly as you can.’

They scoffed at me and challenged me to fight.

So I poured for their heroes cups of death,

Spilling the blood of one after the other on the ground.

For with my spear I am the greatest champion.

Miqdad had scarcely finished before he caught sight of a rising dust cloud. When he saw this he ordered the servants to halt and made the camels kneel, removing their loads. As he looked at the dust it cleared away to show camels carrying howdahs followed by three formidable riders wearing chain mail. As they came into view Miqdad shouted at them and wanted to capture them. He asked them who they were, and one of them rode towards him and said: ‘Not so fast, young man! I am the Meccan champion who uses his sword to fight in the holy war,
Abu’l-Hasan ‘Ali
.’

When he heard this name Miqdad drew back to Mayasa, trembling and stammering. When she asked him why this was, he said: ‘I swear by my father and mother that I have never set eyes on a rider like this one. When he shouted at me I thought that the sky had fallen down on the earth.’ She said: ‘Was it not you who asked whether there was anyone to match you amongst men, when I told you that every disaster is followed by a greater one? Make sure that you deal with him as you dealt with others before him.’

On hearing this Miqdad recited:

Mayasa, this is my goodbye, as my heart is on fire.

I never thought that I would find one to force my respect.

But even noble men are led to bow their heads to him,

Fearing to meet him, and how wonderful this is!

I am afraid he will soon capture me,

And I shed bitter tears at having to leave you.

Mayasa, on hearing these lines, urged him on to fight and recited:

No man is noble who fails to defend

His lady, and his friends will think him weak.

But if you would prefer to do this, then leave me

And I shall meet this man and conquer him.

She was about to get down from her howdah when Miqdad stopped her. He rode out with his spear levelled, dropping his reins, but ‘Ali, upon whom be peace, gave his angry shout that the Arabs knew well and recited:

I am ‘Ali, who has destroyed the Arab champions.

I have won fame in times of angry war,

And my sharp sword cuts through the riders’ heads.

He charged against Miqdad, pressed him hard and, allowing him no time to react, he seized the rings of his chain mail and plucked him from his saddle. He had lifted him up and was about to dash him down on the ground when his uncle, Hamza, called to him to spare him. He put him down softly and, on seeing this, Mayasa recited:

You conqueror of riders, treat my friend gently.

It was because of me that he met fearsome foes.

And if you want to kill him, kill me first,

For I could never bear to see him dead.

You are a man of mercy; pardon him,

For you are generous in what you do.

When ‘Ali saw her, modesty kept him from addressing her, and, thinking that he had not accepted her intercession, she recited:

Hero, be generous to me, you who are my support.

Give him to me, you man of noble birth.

I am a stranger here, so grant me your bounty,

As in all matters you are my best hope.

I disobeyed my parents for his sake,

And his life is my wish and my delight.

Free him for me so I may be near him,

And take the weapons, howdah and camel.

When the imam ‘Ali heard these lines he called to her: ‘Say no more, girl. We are the people of the House of Mercy, who spare those who are in our power.’ He went up to Miqdad and asked whether he knew the
words of salvation that saved men from their trespasses, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Apostle of God, may God bless him and give him peace.’ ‘Say this and you will be one of ours and turn to us,’ he told him. ‘Master,’ said Miqdad, ‘stretch out your hand for I bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family and give them peace.’ He proceeded to tell ‘Ali of what had happened to him because of Mayasa. ‘I want to take her back to her father and marry her,’ he said, ‘and then return with her to the Prophet.’ He added: ‘I would like something that would bring me near God and His Apostle,’ and ‘Ali taught him prayers that he could use, amongst them being the prayer of relief after hardship, telling him that when he was overtaken by any misfortune he should seek help from Almighty God through the medium of Muhammad, and God would remove it from him and bring him relief, if this was His will. ‘Ali then left him and went off leaving Miqdad to return to the camp of his clan, joyfully and delightedly, thanks to his acceptance of Islam. He was praising God and reciting:

Praise be to God who led me after error to Islam;

I am content with God, my noble Lord, Who has no like.

He pressed on his way night and day, not turning aside for anything on his way to the camp, when he was met by his uncle Jabir with his clan and his cousins. They greeted him, congratulating him on his safe return and asking him about the men sent by Malik son of Riyah. ‘Good news!’ said Miqdad, ‘I left them thrown down on the ground as a prey for the wild beasts.’ Then he added: ‘Are you not ashamed of having promised your daughter to me and then betraying me and giving her in marriage to someone else?’ ‘People came from Syria who told us that you had been killed,’ they told him, ‘but now it is clear that they were lying and you have a better right to her than anyone else.’

Jabir had in fact come in order to trick Miqdad. ‘Auf son of al-Sabbah had ridden off when Miqdad had killed his companions and when he reached Kinda he went up to a high point and called at the top of his voice: ‘Men of Kinda, quick, quick!’ When they asked him about this he told them that the men of Sinbis had been killed and Mayasa taken by force. ‘Who took her from you?’ they asked, and when he told them that this was Miqdad they took it as a great affront, and Jabir went out with his best riders to meet and deceive Miqdad and his uncle Tarrad for having done this and to return Mayasa to Malik.

When he met Miqdad he pretended that he would take Mayasa, provide her with her bridal gear and then return her to him. Miqdad handed her over together with all the wealth that he had with him as well as the camels and the slaves, after which he left and went off. When Jabir dismounted he wrote to Malik to tell him that his men had been killed, in revenge for whom he wanted to capture Miqdad and his uncle Tarrad and hand them over for him to kill. On receiving the letter, Malik rushed from his tent in a frenzy, mounted his horse and, armed with sword and spear, he rode off immediately to Jabir, whom he found seated surrounded by his clansmen. They exchanged greetings, and while Malik wept for his brother, Jabir tried to cheer him by saying that he had sent to him so that he might avenge himself and take his bride. ‘I shall take Miqdad and his uncle by cunning and hand them over to you, as well as bringing you Mayasa as a bride. You can then do what you want with them.’ On hearing this, Malik stopped weeping and told him to waste no time.

After promising to go off to do this, Jabir immediately jumped up and approached his brother Harith to ask for his help in the capture of Miqdad and Tarrad. Harith agreed, and the two of them went to ask the pair to come with them so that they could consult on some matter. Miqdad and his uncle agreed and were taken to a tent pitched at a distance from the tribe. When they entered they were brought food and drink and after they had eaten they kept on being given wine. When this had had its effect on them Jabir and his brother approached them and tied them up tightly. They then left them in the isolated tent and went to tell Malik what they had done.

Jabir told the women to deck out Mayasa as a bride and lead her to Malik, which they did. When Malik came in, Mayasa looked at him and, disliking what she saw, she struck him on the chest, leaving him flat on his back. She then went off to the tent of Miqdad’s mother, whom she told what Jabir had done to her son and her brother. Bursting into tears, his mother left her tent and, mounting her camel, she called on God, the Great and Glorious, to help her on her way and lead her to Muhammad, may God bless him and give him peace. God answered her prayer and folded up the desert for her so that she reached the Prophet in his mosque in Medina, where he was surrounded by Muslims. He asked her about herself and she told him that she was looking for help against those who had wronged her with regard to her son. Looking at his face, she confirmed her acceptance of Islam and recited these lines: